Shepherd s crook



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT L. RENZ AND HENRY WEIDMAN, OF POPLAR, MONTANA.

-sl-IEPl-nanns.l cRooK.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,175, dated August29, 1893.

Application led April 26, 1893. Serial No. 471,894. V(lilo model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ROBERT L. RENZ and HENRY WEIDMAN, of Poplar, in thecounty of Valley and State of Montana, have invented a new and ImprovedShepherds Crook, of which the following is a specication, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which-Figure lis a perspective view of our improved shepherds crook; and Fig.2 is a front elevation, with a portion of the crook cutaway.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

The object of our invention is to provide a shepherds crook, by means ofwhich the leg of an animal will be retained afterit is caught.

Our invention consists in the combination withthe crook, of aspring-latch which is capable of closing the crook and retaining the legof an animal, all as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The shank A of the crook is made tubular to receive the handle B, andthe said shank near the point Where it is bent to form a hook, is odset,forming a shoulder a, adjoining which is an aperture b. To the shank Ais riveted a curved spring C, provided with a tongue c, which passesthrough the aperture b, in the shank A, the said tongue consisting ofthe offset end of the spring U, the offset thus forming the terminal ofthe spring; and no projection of the tongue extends beyond such oset,thereby presenting a smooth surface to an engaged leg of a sheep whenthe implement is in use. The end d of the crook is curved outwardly tofacilitate bringingthe crook into engagement with the leg of an animal,and the spring C normally rests against the inner surface of the crookat a point nearly opposite the offset a. The inner surface of the crookd is smooth, and this with the spring prevents any injury to the sheep.When the said spring C is depressed, it closesin beneath the shoulder oand leaves the crook entirely open. When the crook is used, it is drawnquickly against the leg of an animal, and the yielding of the spring Callows the crook to engage the leg, after which the spring returns toits normal position, and closes the crook,

thereby retaining the leg of the animal securely until it is released bythe depression of the spring O. o

Having thus described our invention, we

' claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- As a new articleof manufacture, a shepherds crook having a smooth inner surface at itscrook portion, and a curved springsecured at one end to the shank of thecrook and extending forwardly and normally pressing against the smoothinner surface of the crook portion, the extreme free end of such springbeing reduced and odset and extending within an orifice in the shank,substantially as described.-

ROBERT L. BENZ. HENRY WEIDMAN. Witnesses:

A. A. FREDERIoKsoN, H. M. CosIER.

